Kings & Pawns
by Irual
Summary: What does a mutant water dog do while his nemisis is busy and Negaduck want's the media to pay attention to his plans? lets find out...LiquidatorXOC NOT SLASH!
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Disney owns all their characters and the other things they invented. I am borrowing them for NO monetary profit of any kind. Anyone you don't remember from the Disney library is someone I made up to help tell my tales. This particular story starts on Thursday, July 10th __2008 and starts at the same time as chapter 12 of my Fan fiction called Commitment Commencement. _

_As far as I know you don't have to read that one to enjoy this one but it would make me happy if you did. Also the characters are the same ages they were on the show except that Gosalyn's 10__th__ birthday happened in Hexes & Vexes. Even though I have placed them in 2008 instead of 1991 and I have updated the technology to reflect the time setting; I am trying to remain true to the spirit of the cartoon. Please read & review thank you Irual_

Bushroot and Liquidator were partners in crime, and on this fine, sunny, Thursday afternoon they were working a scheme independently from their cohorts in the Fearsome Five. Bushroot needed some new tools and gardening supplies to help him care for his plants. And it just so happened, by happy coincidence for the villains anyways; the semiannual St. Canard Flower and Garden Expo was scheduled to open it's doors tomorrow.

Knowing that the show had been going to open today, and that the exhibitors were already set up, also knowing that the booths and show areas were fully stocked and not yet fully staffed due to a conflict in planning with the fundraiser to benefit the city orphanage. Liquidator had suggested that they help themselves a bit early to avoid the crowds and the complications involved whenever minions of the law interfered with Bushroot's shopping. Of course the fact that the Fearsome Five tended to cause mayhem and confusion for the law abiding citizens and the businesses they frequented almost always ended up not getting paid for the items they got had a lot to do with that; but that was a minor quibble to Bud and the Liquidator.

Agreeing with this sentiment and happy to be with his friend, even though his conscience DID give a guilty twinge at the thought of stealing, Bushroot had gone along with the plan. This was mainly because he didn't have the money to pay to replace his tools and supplies. He WAS a super powered super villain, but the job paid surprisingly little in the way of ready cash since Negaduck usually took most if not all the loot from their joint ventures and it had been a while since he'd been needy enough to try an independent crime. At conventions like this Expo though there were usually sample products, and giveaways so he felt a lot less guilty about browsing there than he did at one of the local nurseries or malls.

As they left the greenhouse complex that Bushroot used as one of his main hideouts behind Liquidator offered, "Act now for this special trial offer. Today only receive an all expenses paid trip to the convention center of downtown St. Canard with the Liquidator as your transportation."

Grinning Bushroot said after looking around cautiously, "there aren't many people around today I think I'll take you up on that special offer. Besides, the sooner we get there the sooner we can look over what they have available."

Lifting Bushroot carefully off his root like feet in a surge of liquid Bud Flood replied, "For us Reggie, they will roll out the red carpet." Before the two of them disappeared swishing down the street towards the convention center with Bushroot half floating, half holding onto Liquidators's shoulders as the water dog's controlled flow swept them down the street at a tremendous pace.

As the came close to the area of the convention center, they noticed far more people around than they had really expected. Making sure their disguises which consisted of long trench coats, large brimmed hats, sunglasses and gloves were intact they began casing the crowd. As their observations hit him, Liquidator's instincts began yipping at him that something strange seemed to have come over St. Canard. After all, the major multimedia blitz that had been secretly orchestrated to publicize this event had only started three days earlier and it's main focus was the local vigilante crime fighter Darkwing Duck.

Given Darkwing's dubious reputation and relative obscurity, not even the villains he usually foiled had expected this kind of turn out. Oh sure, the crowds of local citizens that were converging on the park were supposed to show…after all there was free food and music and most of the city had shut down for this; but the turnout had mushroomed into something no one (except maybe Negaduck) had expected. Even schools were bringing those student's who's parent's had sent them to classes as a kind of field trip since the mayor was giving a speech and later there was supposed to be various demonstrations by police and fire department and other safety personnel as well as Darkwing's appearances.

In the parking lot of the convention center were an entire fleet of busses from the convalescent homes and assisted living apartments in the area. There were even quite a few RV's parked around with people grilling and listening to T.V. and radio coverage as people waited to get into the park.

The news helicopters circling overhead were providing aerial coverage of the crowds, entertainment and turnout. Dozens of news vans; not just from the local stations but also from the national networks, were covering this and of course there were police officers trying to funnel the huge surges of people into and around the park. Most of the crowds were focused on the stages that had been set up inside the park as well as riding the various rides and eating the food from venders that had set up throughout the area.

A considerable number of people looked to be already lining up at different food venues though as well as large groups of people being sold t shirts, posters and flyers with Darkwing's image and signature catchphrase prominently featured on everything. On closer inspection Liquidator noticed that for every vender selling the items there was a weasel giving children and women of all ages and species extra items, some of which showed Quiverwing Quack, Bolt, Launchpad and even some group images of the team of the Justice Ducks.

Clearly someone wanted to be absolutely sure that the crowd had lots of souvenirs to take home, display and carry. Bud Flood and Liquidator both figured they knew who it was too. Liquidator's instincts for survival were whispering cautions already, even though nether he nor Bushroot had any intentions of getting involved in any of this. Well none other than using this huge mass of people as a cover for Bushroot's little shopping spree anyway; even so…they needed to use caution and avoid getting any more involved than this.

Bushroot was more than a little nervous at the crowded conditions but Liquidator pulled himself fully upright stretching to peer over the people and scanned the security before sinking back to his usual height. Part of what was so startling for Bushroot and Liquidator was how much of the cities less than law abiding segments of the population seemed to be cooperating to make this a success.

Licky noticed that many of the game booth's near the gate were being manned by weasel gangs and that there were small replica stands representing several legitimate local restaurants as well as chains like Hamburger Hippo, all of which were doing a brisk business. He did suppress a shudder at the posters fastened prominently on each food display offering 'free food', discount coupon giveaways and other samples.

The salesman in him understood luring in potential customers after all, but these business weren't charging anything at all for what amounted to entire meals and there were already several thousand people milling around. His keen hearing also picked up the sounds of faint discontent from several of the police trying to direct people to various facilities like the portable bathrooms that had been hastily set up to handle the extra crowds.

Negaduck had threatened dire and painful, presumably permanent harm to any of the five who interfered with this event as well as convincing several of the old school crime families to police independent criminals. And evidently they had agreed to cooperate since the area around the park seemed to be filling up with every average citizen, business person and any other mover and shaker that lived anywhere in the greater St. Canard area and yet no one was being unduly harassed.

Without even noticing they were next to two members of the Fearsome Five, an entire group of local, low and mid level enforcers for the Capon's had moved in to reunite a little girl with her family. They also dragged off a pick pocket as he brushed past Bushroot and Liquidator while the twosome moved as inconspicuously as possible along the periphery of the crowd that was trying to enter the East gate of the park.

There were even signs that several of the gangs of ducks, dogs, rodents and other species that usually frequented the seedier parts of town and tended to be as violent as possible to anyone outside of their own gangs had temporarily declared a truce. Liquidator recognized some of them lurking around noticeably devoid of their colors and obvious weapons. They filed through the gates just as the ordinary citizens did.

From the muttered signs and countersigns he picked up the gangs were hoping to impress the upper level pros with their discipline and behavior enough to get auditions and introductions into the more career oriented and hopefully profitable parts of the criminal elements of St. Canard society. Bushroot noticed this too and looked even more uncertain than usual but he made no outward comments. Instead he got the look in his eyes he usually did when he was taking mental notes and photos and Liquidator knew he wouldn't be the only one making a report to Negaduck when their leader finished whatever scheme he had devised.

Chuckling Bud offered, "they are so overwhelmed we could probably walk right in and help ourselves to anything in there and none of them would notice."

Clapping Bushroot on the shoulder Licky shivered as Bud added, "Negaduck would notice…but we have more important things to do this afternoon than watch Dipwing Dork make an idiot of himself in front of a lot more people than usual."

Bushroot nodded and offered shyly, "I'm glad you decided to come with me Bud, crowds like these are too much for my telepathy, I have to block out the grass getting trampled and the other plants panicking. I almost wonder what the boss is really up to, usually his plots involve a lot of property destruction and direct looting but this…. Oh well, as long as everything works out I don't suppose it matters."

Reggie shivered a little and admitted, "I never was really comfortable with people even before I became well…what I am now."

Liquidator answered, "The new and improved Bushroot is without question far superior to these run of the mill consumers. We should encounter little or no competition in this specialized niche market. Especially with all this as a distraction."

With that he dissolved under one of the locked turnstiles at the Eastern entrance to the convention center and disabled the security camera with a small application of damp on it's inner wiring. Bushroot followed after him already getting caught up in the posters and ads displayed on the walls of the exhibit hall. Liquidator was careful not to give himself away, after all it wouldn't do to weaken his bargaining position but he and Bud both LOVED seeing Bushroot caught up in his interests.

When his intellect was engaged, the passionate scientist that still lurked under the timid, exotic, plant exterior of Bushroot came out far more than either Bushroot or Reggie seemed to realize. The combination of his scientific curiosity, passionate enthusiasm and intellect was very much part of the reason that both Liquidator and Bud Flood enjoyed Bushroot's/ Reggie's company.

Liquidator hid another grin and pulled Bushroot to the rear of the room behind the curtained display for one of the motorized garden equipment companies. Their riding lawnmowers, garden carts, tillers and soil aerators made for excellent cover, especially since the booth was deserted. In fact, as they looked around, all of the displays looked empty of people if not products.

Happily Bushroot took up a large carry basket from a booth and began rummaging through several displays muttering to himself about which plants would enjoy which fertilizers, pots, and he even exclaimed over the small selection of artificial sunlamps. After a few minutes though, watching Bushroot shop was a little…less engaging than Liquidator preferred. He had always been a high energy person and most of the appeal of sales and running his company had been the constant challenge and tension involved in the risks he took.

This being the case he didn't like hanging around with nothing to do. Just then his sharp hearing picked up the sound of conversation coming from the large, sturdy looking display across the exhibit hall from the entrance they had come in by. It looked for all the world like a classic fairy tale cottage complete with what on closer inspection was a faux thatched roof and brightly painted shutters, window boxes and a small garden space lined with a flagstone foot path leading up to the vivid blue door.

All the plants in the front garden and window boxes were real and clearly had been planted to help emphasize the effectiveness and appeal of various products for the company behind the display. At each opportunity a small tasteful sign denoted the type of plant and then the company whose irrigation systems, fertilizers, hand tools, seeds and even seedlings and shoots were on show here.

Intrigued more by the subtle, complex and yet exceedingly direct marketing and promotional techniques than by the actual products, Liquidator slipped up to one of the windows and peered inside. There wasn't much to see at first glance. The cottage interior was a small counter and display where samples and flyers were kept but the conversation was definitely coming from the room beyond the darkened retail space.

There were lights on in the back room, and several shadowed figures showed against the wall as he peered in the window. Deciding to indulge his curiosity, he shifted to his puddle form and flowed under the door and trickled to the back of the displays to listen.

A strident female voice was speaking from the front of the room with her back turned to the small conference table around which sat about a dozen other people. From his vantage point beside the water cooler Liquidator could see that everyone in the room was held in their seats by the forceful personality inherent in the female who was speaking.

He didn't see much of her beyond her powerfully muscled but clearly feminine legs that were covered in a rich coat of fur in shades of grey tipped with black. Her bushy tail hung at an alert angle just below the dark maroon colored, hooded cloak that she wore which obscured the rest of her from view until she turned around.

Almost all of the people seated around the table were dressed in business suits but none of them exuded the aura of power, charisma and strength of personality she had and that had caught both Liquidator and Bud Flood's attention. IF he had still needed to breathe he would have surely passed out since he was now riveted in place unable to move or think.

The she wolf revealed when she slid the hood back from her face had luminous yellow eyes and her sharp tone of voice matched her brilliantly white teeth and delicately pointed muzzle. The almost provocative tuft of pale fur at her throat was her only adornment.

Both Bud and Liquidator were both struck by the wrongness of that, an alpha female like her should have been adorned with tokens from the males in her life or those who wanted to be; and yet there were none of the usual sorts of jewelry, or other status enhancements on her or her outfit. The short, black, business skirt ensemble she wore under the cloak had a definite edgy hint of danger to it that was confirmed as she leaned menacingly on the table to glare at the now nervous table of underlings.

There were several pigs, who scooted backwards in their chairs and left the dog near the front of the room on his own while the various Avian types stayed very calm. Clearly her staff understood this mood even if Liquidator felt far more confused than he should have. The other two dog-like personnel at this meeting were young females. Like the male towards the head of the table they shared the same distinctive, pale yellow, eye color that he and the mysterious, enticing, female powerhouse at the head of the table did.

Unlike him they also shared her wardrobe as far as the hooded, dark red cloak and business skirt ensemble and in spite of their subordinate positions towards the foot of the table, clearly the others at the table deferred to them. The two young females had quietly shut their laptops and moved toward the head of the table in support of the male dog.

At least it looked that way, until the mallard in the chair next to him moved rapidly away from the table. The females inclined their heads submissively to their Alpha as they handed her hardcopy reports from their research, then stepped back.

Her alert, pricked ears swiveled to attention as she demanded, "What do you mean exactly? This event has been planned for MONTHS and I saw the shipping manifests myself!"

The much more domesticated feel of the young dog-like male she was asking stood out against her as weakness and timidity but to Liquidator's surprise he straightened in his seat and stood to face her fury.

He answered calmly, "It can't be helped Gretchen. The inventory already in town for the expo is going to have to be enough until Monday. The trucks were delayed and it isn't cost effective to reship everything as special deliveries for Saturday."

Her eyes glowed even in the florescent lights overhead and she paced back and forth and fumed, "We can't afford to appear unorganized. If this promotion is to succeed, we have to be able to fill the orders promptly. St. Canard has a large population base and huge areas of residential homes as well as being in a fairly constant state of repair and upgrading commercially thanks to the different urban renewal projects going on all the time. I REFUSE to hear excuses Leland…. I intend to bid successfully for at least ten long term contracts with the city and the home builder's associations that are due here expect to be impressed."

She stalked forward and forced the lesser male back into his seat before spinning to glare at the information on the screen being projected in the front of the conference room. Bud Flood's ears pricked forward slightly as he recognized the calm, predatory tone she suddenly affected. Even though she now sounded cool, focused and collected, Bud's own former experience as the CEO and top salesman of his bottled water company told him her fury while being channeled was far from gone.

Moving back to her original position she mused, "we need to establish ourselves in this market. It's time and past we go regional."

The underlings at the table noticed her calming down and relaxed visibly as the young pup offered sounding surprisingly confident, "the company is poised to make a good showing here. The projected market saturation is far less than we expected."

Gretchen growled under her breath and moved to a small door behind the podium before saying, "I'm your boss Leland, and if you want to keep your job you'd best remember that. There had better not be any more screw ups people. I am going to finish reviewing the projected attendance for our presentations tomorrow and I expect the available inventory to be correlated with the pre-registered attendees. We can always hand out flyers and the seed samples to the general ticket holders."

Her fierce yellow eyes slanted back to pin the dog back as he started to get up. "And Leland, another screw up on your part and being my second cousin won't save your job OR your rear end."

Bud stiffened and almost gave himself away by surging to his actual height and exposing his position as he saw that lackey Leland's expression behind Gretchen's back. It actually took him a moment to recognize the almost familiar reaction he was having as his lips drew back in a sneer.

He watched Gretchen go into the other room beyond this one. Suddenly deciding that it was time to get rid of the rest of these buffoons and introduce himself to this sensual and ruthless creature; he flexed himself and gazed calmly at the hated logo on the bottle in the water cooler. The Koo Koo Fizzy Water Company had evidently won the bid to supply the convention center again this year and for once Liquidator and Bud were glad that one of their former rival's products was around.

Focusing himself he concentrated on the water in the bottle carefully dripping some of it into his hand and mixing it in himself until he felt it's resonance echoed inside his watery body. Then he focused on the people chattering away around the table as they waited for Gretchen to return. From the looks of the mostly empty plates of sandwiches, chips, pickled vegetables and such this had been a working lunch meeting and hopefully most of the people here had most likely imbibed water along with their salty food.

Sure enough, in just a few short minutes most of the employees excused themselves and rushed for the front of the building since the facilities were just outside the doorway to the main hall. Bud hid a grin of satisfaction and himself by sliding behind the stand of the water cooler and watching as the last few victims of his manipulations clutched themselves and rushed away in gastronomic distress.

Chuckling, Liquidator moved to the front of the room and paused just before the door to make sure he was at his best. His usual confidence had been boosted by the success of his ploy with the employees and he was eager to make an impression on this Gretchen. However, all didn't go as planned for the water dog.

Just as he started to fall under the door and make one of his patent pending, crowd pleasing, consumer enticing entrances, he growled in frustration as he recognized the sounds coming from outside the cottage. Evidently at least one of the people he had sent away had seen Bushroot at his browsing and decided to object.

Liquidator spun in place and prepared to go to help Reggie when the door opened and out rushed Gretchen. She charged into the room clearly intending to continue on outside the back room but her encounter with Liquidator caused her to stagger and gasp since she was now soaked from head to toe and struggling to wipe excess moisture from her eyes.

She had run right into him and since he had been distracted by his feelings and torn since he had he had been going to help Bushroot; his watery substance had splashed onto her and then puddled onto the floor. Instinctively trying to figure out what happened the rest of him that wasn't on Gretchen had spread out to hide while he recovered himself but…. Unlike when he was in a fight and gathered himself almost instantly back into his cohesive dog-like form, for some reason he didn't want to look at too closely; he didn't want to reveal himself, not like this.

Liquidator for his part was taken entirely by surprise by this reaction and so remained an inconspicuous wetness in the carpeting as she shook the remnants of him off her fur and cloak. He found the sensation of sliding on her fur to be terribly distracting but both he and Bud knew that finding a better opportunity to introduce themselves would contribute far more to their cause than revealing his position prematurely.

This being the case he waited until she rushed out the door and after a last glance at the shipping manifests and tracking numbers on the screen he sloshed quickly away to help Bushroot. Outside the little cottage at first glance nothing seemed to be wrong. The area where Bushroot had been was quiet and even though Liquidator could tell that some of the merchandise was missing, Reggie had been careful and at first glance nothing even appeared to be gone.

As he moved toward the Eastern entrance he saw Bushroot actually arguing with the mysterious Gretchen. She was standing aggressively beside one of the younger females who had clearly been badly startled and fallen against the archway leading to the exit and the two of them were blocking Bushroot's escape from the exhibit hall.

Reggie was clutching his basket of samples and pulling on it while Gretchen tried to take it away since some of the seed packets on top were from her company. As she continued to try and take the basket from him; Bushroot gestured to one of the potted palms which swept her off her feet and into it's fronds muffling her with a branch to keep her quiet. The younger female jumped to her feet and tried to free Gretchen but the second potted palm beside the door swept her into it's leafy clutches clearing the doorway.

Unfortunately for Bushroot, this second tree wasn't as quick to silence it's prisoner and the younger female's shrieks sounded throughout the exhibit hall bringing the other employees and the skeleton crew of security on the run. Moving swiftly Liquidator shook off his unusual paralysis and swept the first group of busybodies out of his way before scooping Bushroot up with his basket of samples and the small crate of hand tools that Reggie had gathered and escaped out the storm drain just beside the Eastern entrance.

As the two super powered criminals made good on their escape, Reggie made sure to tell his friends to release the people so that no one would be upset with the plants and very soon the twosome were back at the greenhouse. Bushroot noticed that Liquidator seemed very quiet on the way back and he wasn't sure if Liquidator was happy with how things had turned out. But Reggie knew he wanted to thank his friend so he spoke up cautiously as he unpacked his new tools and seeds and the other things he had picked up.

Gratefully Bushroot said, "thanks for the assist Bud. With all this to work with I will have a lot less trouble taking care of the plants here."

At this Bud snapped out of his distracted daze and answered, "It's no trouble Reggie. Listen I have something I want to check on…I'll call on you later in the week alright?"

And without waiting for an answer he dissipated into the soil and flowed off. Bushroot was a little surprised at this but Liquidator had never been too keen on things like social niceties and now that he had proper equipment again it was time to aerate the beds on the south wing. Those poor roots were almost impacted and the plants were beginning to become stunted.

_This is the intro into the Liquidator adventure and I hope it is both intriguing and inspires lots of reviews. In the meantime I am hoping to delve into more of both Bud and Liquidator in the next chapter since he is busy trying to figure a way to impress Gretchen. I hope to post the next part soon thank you for reading this, Irual_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Disney owns all their awesome characters and I am using them to tell my plots for NO money or other profit of any kind, except for practice in improving my writing skills and getting feedback from all you generous readers on the internet. No one in my family reads what I write, nor are they interested in Fan-fiction so I value your input and responses dearly. This plot happens simultaneously with the end of Commitment Commencement and while Trials and Tribulations is happening and tells about Liquidator and various other villains and what they are doing while the heroic characters are in Duckburg._

Liquidator was thinking hard while sloshing along within the St. Canard sewer system when he felt a by now familiar tingling and realized that Bushroot was close by and trying to contact him. Honestly he was surprised at this since he had left Bushroot happily engaged in his research at one of the smaller greenhouses near the library.

Bud wasn't really in the mood to hang out with Reggie just now; he wanted to concentrate on finding a way to continue his pursuit of that delightful alpha female Gretchen. Thoughts of her sparked his emotions in a way he hadn't felt since long before his transformation from flesh and blood Bud Flood to the watery villain Liquidator.

Moving through the water pipes he was careful to avoid the waste management areas and keep to the cleaner water. Of course he WAS perfectly capable of moving through any liquid, but both sides of his personality were in agreement in this. After all, a sparkling clean Liquidator was far more appealing and likely to sell themselves than they would be if people saw them emerging from sludge.

That persistent pull that was Reggie came to him again and Liquidator sighed as Bud pulled him towards the university; clearly this was urgent and unless he wanted to have to try and block out the distraction of the call, it was best to see what had Bushroot's root's in a tangle; that way he could focus on his plans to expand his customer base and market himself to his best advantage. After all, Bud had had a few one night stands before becoming The Liquidator, and as a salesman and the CEO of his own successful company he understood Gretchen's position so all he needed was the right approach and she was bound to be impressed.

Arriving in the irrigation system of the university, Bud followed his instincts for the quickest way to get to Reggie and to his surprise he came out by the friendship fountain at the main campus of the state college here in the tri-state area. Usually Reggie stayed near the auxiliary areas and research labs since the main campus had very large crowds but…there he was.

Recognizing his friend from the telltale fringe of fuchsia from the petals he was hiding under his hat, Liquidator surged upwards and sat comfortably on the edge of the fountain's bowl before tapping Bushroot on his trench-coated shoulder to say, "Urgent problems require swift action. Try Liquidator brand care for all your personal and professional needs."

Bushroot jumped in alarm and squeaked as he realized that Liquidator had arrived and was now sitting openly just behind him, Bushroot gasped, "Oh My! Whooo, Please…don't do that!"

Smiling to show he wasn't upset, and because it was fun to see Bushroot jump and squeak when he was startled, Bud asked, "So what's up? I thought you'd be busy for days in your greenhouse after our little shopping spree…."

Bushroot nodded agreeably and then gestured unhappily to indicate the direction of his work area and said, "I did save some of my current work, but I'm afraid that particular greenhouse is going to need extensive repairs and renovations so I am having to relocate. But the main reason I wanted to talk to you is…."

Just then Liquidator realized that Bushroot had company beside him, seated cross-legged on the decorative pattern of tiles that bordered the fountain was another duck. This person was dressed in a dark red vest with a black tie and fedora hat that had a narrow brim and a red ribbon around the crown and unlike most people who found themselves in the company of members of the Fearsome Five; this fellow seemed unconcerned at Liquidator's flair for the dramatic.

He was absently drawing on one of the tiles with colored chalk playing a game of hangman except that instead of a simple stick figure, the victim of the hangman's noose was an elaborate drawing of Wiffleboy the video game character. This, combined with the strangely sad and maniacal giggling coming from the slumping figure told the stunned Bud that it was Quackerjack!

Cautiously Bud asked, "What's with Michael? He's out of character in more than just his wardrobe isn't he?"

Bushroot nodded and said quietly, "he insisted on dressing this way as a disguise…. After he helped some of my hydrangeas trash the greenhouse."

Hesitantly Reggie admitted, "I thought if we could involve him in some kind of caper it might take his mind off…well."

Liquidator shuddered and interrupted saying, "Say no more my fellow mutated villain and member of the Fearsome Five. When the Liquidator sees a niche to fill, he isn't one to let an opportunity go by! Besides, I have been debating on the best way to introduce my services to a new consumer and you two are in a position to get in on the ground floor of my newest investment opportunity!"

Wrapping an arm around both of his cohorts, Liquidator chuckled as his newborn idea took shape and he pulled the startled Bushroot and the now aware and cautious Quackerjack along in his wake. They easily avoided the few people who were in the park and swiftly disappeared into the manicured undergrowth along the Northern side of the property just as the population of the park increased dramatically as the students and faculty of the nearby campus came out of various buildings and flooded into the surrounding grounds.

Ignoring this, Liquidator was busily working out the logistics of his plan and without trying to explain he pulled Bushroot and Quackerjack along to the storm drains and then through these to the warehouse district along the riverfront that fed into Audubon Bay. The Bendbow river was fairly large by the time it emptied into the bay and recent tidal activities had deepened large areas of the bay and the river estuary making several new areas of the bay into prime deepwater anchorage.

This was actually a side benefit of whatever had damaged the bridge around the middle of May and McDuck Enterprises had been among the first to react to the changes in the bay by buying up several prime locations. And now of course he was using them to anchor the barges and construction cranes that were being used to survey the damaged landmark in preparation for restoring it.

Liquidator was no fool, he knew that McDuck was going to lease those properties for a tidy profit anytime he didn't have his own ships there and thanks to Bud Flood's line of credit he too had purchased one of the anchorages and unbeknownst to the billionaire duck; he was having it prepped for use by the highest bidder. Once word got out in the criminal underground that there was anchorage available that was handy to an investment of Scrooge's Bud was sure to enjoy a healthy upward surge in his bank accounts.

In the meantime though, this particular spot was the perfect place to plan his current sales campaign and with Bushroot and Quackerjack to help, he now had far more in the way of resources than he had originally budgeted for. Bud Flood's innate intelligence had been in overdrive while Liquidator took care of getting them all to the construction sight quickly and quietly and then he had Bushroot set up his special security with some of the water plants to ensure that none of the crews working on the anchorage points and piers came too near their position. With his control over water, and Bushroot's over plants, they weren't likely to be disturbed.

This being the case Bud took over from Liquidator and said succinctly as he wrapped a friendly arm around Bushroot and the other around Quackerjack who was now dressed only in his trademark jester costume having discarded his hat and jacket when they arrived at the small construction shack situated on the landward side of the partially constructed pier. "I am interested in making a splash in materials at the moment and with the help of your unique talents; the Flood company brand is poised to succeed.

Carefully Liquidator pulled his cohorts to the window so they could look out without being seen and said, "See that cargo crane unloading the tractor trailers labeled Gretchen's Garden Goods? That's our target customer…."

Surprised, Bushroot asked taking a moment to consider both of their rather fragile mental and emotional states, "Garden supplies? But Buddy, even with having to adjust my research and adapt the other beds and such; I don't need THAT much at a time…what are you going to do with a convoy of seeds, tools and plants?"

Bushroot felt Liquidator's touch tighten slightly and through his plant side, his green chlorophyll filled skin absorbed a tiny bit of Liquidator and he knew instantly that he'd better be very, very careful. The complex stew of emotions that assaulted Reggie was too confusing to sort out completely but the overall feelings he DID get set off his instincts for trouble and danger so he verbally backtracked hoping to defuse Bud's temper and appease Liquidator's need for retaliation.

Bushroot called silently to his nearest allies which happened to be several types of sea weed that grew in the brackish waters of the bay and they unobtrusively began to move closer under the water as he backpedaled out loud to Liquidator saying, "Not that I mean anything by that of course, it's just that plants and stuff are my usual thing and…I thought that I could help you with your project better if I knew where you wanted the garden you're planning. Plants can do much better in the right soil and…"

At this Bud relaxed and said jovially, "Never you fear Reggie, I am not looking to horn in on your territory, and I appreciate your concern. But I am hoping to use products like these to grow a very different sort of crop than what you are expecting."

Liquidator's much more menacing tones came through as he added, "The Liquidator is never one to let the pressure of a new market keep him down for long." He flexed his watery form and huffed, to demonstrate his fitness and posed dramatically.

Quackerjack contemplated this display and intrigued he offered while bushing a few errant drops of water off his collar, "Well, its not as though I have anything better to do or anything, and we ARE playmates….But I DO wonder what you have in mind for a payoff…. Parts and materials for my toys don't grow on trees you know."

At this both Liquidator and Bushroot chuckled, and Liquidator offered, "Not to worry my fine feathered felon. The Liquidator understands needing to make a profit."

Bushroot noticed that Liquidator looked a bit sly and his eyes shifted in a telltale way as he replied to Quackerjack's perfectly logical question but he put that down to his friends difficult emotional state and decided to move on. He thanked the seaweed which floated inconspicuously back towards the estuary area and the work crews in the bay.

Bushroot watched quietly so as not to interrupt Bud or Liquidator as Quackerjack mused moodily and took one of his exploding yoyo's out of his pockets and idly began doing tricks with it. True to his usual character, Quackerjack was seemingly unconcerned with the possibility of accidentally blowing one or more of his fingers off as the dangerous toy spun and flipped through its paces, but Bushroot noticed that the other duck was watching Liquidator with as much caution as he was.

As Liquidator moved restlessly over to the other window, he expounded on what he wanted saying, "That particular company has a large shipment of products and samples just west of here that has been delayed due to a miscommunication between the drivers of their delivery trucks and the large traffic accident last night from the unexplained earth tremors in the canyons north of the tri-state area. I want to take advantage of this to acquire the inventory so I can make a takeover bid for the business they are expecting to do at the Expo this weekend."

Nodding agreeably his cohorts watched attentively as Liquidator continued to outline his plans and as dusk fell the threesome took off towards the side road that presumably had the trailers from the convoy on it. Bushroot had looked up the accident reports on the city public records server and with this information, they were sure to find something they could use even if only part of the convoy was still there.

Irritated, Liquidator watched as Quackerjack and Bushroot finished having their various minions peel back the sides of tractor trailers as though they were made of tissue paper instead of aluminum and steel. This conveniently meant that the secure locks on the loading doors of the trailers were not in the way. And as an added side benefit, the screech of overstressed metal sent spasms through the prisoners which kept them cowed.

Bushroot's trees seemed particularly eager to carry the sacks of fertilizer, seeds, flats of seedling plants and the odd container of flyers and brochures. While Quackerjack's larger than life-sized nutcrackers and various windup toys carried the weed killers and pruning sheers as well as the other crates and boxes that the shipping manifests said were part of the presentation samples that Gretchen's company had been going to use at the Expo. Bud frowned as he surveyed their haul; unfortunately, despite how swiftly they had acted, the super villains had only intercepted about half of the delayed shipment. Granted, his scheme would still work, but…it wasn't going to be as impressive a showing as he had hoped since this was only half the inventory.

Growling his displeasure, Liquidator slammed the last two drivers heads together with a little more force than was strictly necessary before Bushroot had a vine wind around the now unconscious twosome and dragged them over to join the rest of the unfortunate people that had been guarding the merchandise while waiting for an alternative route to be cleared. It was now nearing midnight and while his watery form didn't require as much sleep as his flesh and blood one had, Bud and Liquidator still got tired.

Some small part of him had also noticed what seemed to be an emotional side effect of his recent troubles…. When he got tired, even the most minor complications made him impulsively angry and prone to violence now instead of being able to maintain his cool, focused persona the way he had been able to before. Granted, having that caped, wonder blunder Darkwing interfering in his money making schemes had always been enough to tick him off sooner or later; but he had a hair trigger now no matter what the provocation and that worried him.

Unbeknownst to the Liquidator Bushroot was worried too. Liquidator had always been more ruthless and prone to direct physical confrontations than Bushroot was really comfortable with. But over the course of their caper; he had noticed that the watery villain was reacting as though the ordinary people he was robbing were actually some sort of threat; or as if they had offered resistance to the super villains even though they had been almost instantly overwhelmed and surrendered.

Surreptitiously, Bushroot checked to make sure the last two prisoners were still breathing before telling the doubled rank of trees that had agreed to help him to start over the hillside carrying the payloads from the trucks. Reggie sighed as Liquidator's frustrated growling faded and the water dog spun to stare after the trees.

Reassuringly Bushroot offered, "I remember the plan, my friends can make the trip to St. Canard well before daylight and I'll have everything arranged before I replant them in the park. The air there will have a lot less exhaust fumes they will have to filter and that will help them grow."

Quackerjack's various minions moved down the roadway carrying the rest of their ill gotten gains and they too soon arrived back in St. Canard along with Bushroot's trees.

Stepping cautiously up to his companions, Quackerjack offered, "Seeing the trees at work has given me inspiration for a new line of outdoor toys. I really want to get started, so after we drop these things off, I think I'll go to my warehouse and work on some prototypes."

Relaxing at this, Liquidator offered, "An excellent plan Quackerjack. A good business plan includes anticipating changing markets and shifting consumer needs. I'll be sure and send you your share of the profits from our caper on Monday."

Bushroot didn't doubt that Quackerjack would find money in his bank account on Monday and so would he, but he doubted it would be from selling these samples. Deciding that it would be best to have some of his trees observe Liquidator; just in case he or Bud needed help later…Bushroot offered no outward objections as he and his trees set their burdens down inside the Expo near the area set up for Gretchen's Garden Goods and received a somewhat distracted brush off from Bud. After whispering a few instructions to the various flora, Bushroot coaxed a patch of sod to carry him and made himself scarce.

As he left, Reggie reflected wryly, that Bud was really working himself up over this scheme and if it went wrong he didn't want to be anywhere nearby; that was for sure. Resolutely he put Liquidator out of his mind and went to see how much of his research he had actually managed to salvage for the cancer project. Granted he had to submit his research under his assumed name of Ronald Brushleaf but that was alright.

Ignoring a familiar twinge of regret and remorse, his thoughts continued as the patch of sod moved him swiftly towards the particular set of research labs he wanted. Not that many people knew that Reginald Bushroot had survived the destruction of his old research lab at the university but most if not all of those who did, also knew he was Bushroot the super powered villain and the last thing he wanted was to compromise his submissions because of his unfortunate past.

This being the case he had assumed a pseudonym to rebuild his scientific reputation and so far it was working like a charm. At this thought, his left hand went to the string of charms that that Granny Babalawo had given him. Once again as he touched them he felt a slight tingle, it was almost the same sort of feeling he got when absorbing some of Liquidator. Unlike that sensation though, this didn't impart any images to his mind, or useful information about any of his friends. Instead this was more like feelings or emotions and so far at least, all the charms seemed to do was make him uneasy. His hand fell back towards his side and the unobtrusive string of charms seemed to go quiet again as Bushroot's thoughts continued to circle restlessly.

Honesty compelled Bushroot to admit that if he hadn't seen Morgana Macabre's powers in action before…or experienced her relatives those Mage-born people when they had stepped in and done…whatever thy had done to Negaduck and Darkwing. Reggie knew that he would have tried to give that old lady Beagle back the charms if he could have. But the thought of getting rid of the charms made his roots shrivel. So he turned his attention back towards the research lab he wanted to infiltrate and thusly failed to realize that there was a path of disturbed plant life in a distinctive trail behind and to the sides of his path. He also would have been very startled to see that the disturbances faded as he progressed towards the lab and focused his thoughts on developing a new treatment for reducing tumor growths in cancer patients.

After carefully arranging the samples just as he wanted them, Liquidator fell into a puddle on the floor. This situation definitely called for one of his patented high energy, dramatic entrances. After all an alpha female like Gretchen wasn't going to be impressed by anything ordinary.

Gretchen sighed with dissatisfaction as she surveyed herself in the mirror and adjusted the set of her hooded, deep red cape. Granted, her personal appearance was up to standard but if she wanted to be honest; she wasn't looking forward to today. It was Sunday and the corporate clients were scheduled to come for the presentations and despite Leland's best efforts only part of the convoys inventory had been delivered last night.

Stepping outside the Astoria Hotel and into the limousine she ate a small selection of protein based dainties before being dropped off at the convention center. It was still very early, most likely only the cleaning crews and security would be there now. But being the CEO meant that it was up to her to double check the situation and make sure things were as ready as they could be.

Leaving this sort of thing to her nieces would have been a good way to test their readiness for more responsibility, but after the fiasco with the shipments she didn't want to increase the risk of anything else going wrong…there would be other opportunities to season them for command later.

As she made her way inside the convention center, Gretchen glanced at the nearby park and grimaced to herself. From all accounts that Party in the Park fundraiser had been a huge success; and while she couldn't publicly object to the cause it had supposedly been raising funds for; the timing of that whole thing had certainly been inconvenient. And her instincts, which were usually right on the money; were saying that the St. Canard orphanage hadn't been the only beneficiary from that whole thing. Especially not since the caped and masked crime fighter Darkwing Duck was now the current media darling of the tri state area.

At the thought of the crime fighter her fur fluffed irritably and her eyes narrowed as she contemplated the situation here again. She had actually debated remaining out of St. Canard to avoid all the strange criminal types that seemed to congregate here, but it was these activities that contributed to the need for the lucrative landscaping contracts she wanted. And it wasn't like her products were something most criminals would want after all, nor was her company likely to be investigated.

Gretchen had decided that as long as she kept up with the paper trail that showed them to be both legal and law abiding, no one was likely to give her or her company a second glance. Even though she wasn't likely to attract the attention of any of the strange elements of society that operated here, Gretchen knew she need to be cautious. She was ruthless and a few of her competitors might be sore losers but that wasn't anything that would concern the likes of Darkwing, or his ilk.

Her grim turned sly and calculating as she mused to herself, the fact that paparazzi were now hounding Darkwing's every move was none of her concern either, but this would likely be to the advantage of the criminal types he did concern himself with and that might prove to be an advantage later.

Footage of him and his sidekick had been featured on the local morning news program and the interview she had turned off half way through her coffee had been good for a laugh but it was time to focus on her immediate goals. Now that the Expo was nearly over all she had to do was impress the contractors and her sales were sure to climb. Once they tried her products, it would only be a matter of proper customer service to keep infiltrating the market here and with St. canard as a foothold, Gretchen's Garden Goods would be a regional brand before the year was out.

With a distinctively wolfish expression of satisfaction gracing her muzzle Gretchen moved confidently towards the area claimed by her company and stopped short at the sight that greeted her. All around her display area was what looked to be the rest of the inventory from the delayed convoy of trucks! As she stepped forward slightly and reached for her cell phone, she received a second shock.

Just in front of her, a shimmering form coalesced and in a few seconds a firm bubbly voice said so softly that only she was likely to hear it, "Have shipping delays got you down? And are competitors creeping uncomfortably close in your sales numbers? Don't be concerned over those petty problems that ordinary CEO's lose their fur over. Count on the Liquidator to show you how the unusual can be used to your advantage."

By the end of this speech, the shimmering liquid form had become the fully recognizable shape of the water dog villain Liquidator, although the fact he had also used his name in his speech had been another major clue. Gretchen refused to give in to the stab of fear she felt at the thought of actually encountering a super powered villain and her feet shifted as she faced him.

Braced for confrontation she snarled softly, "No one gives away something for nothing, what's your angle Dog?"

At this aggressive response, Liquidator felt a familiar twinge of temper which bolstered his confidence. He had actually hoped she would be grateful for the delivery of her goods and therefore receptive to him; but she was an alpha so aggression and temper were part of the package. What startled him and threw off his game plan was when she twisted agilely and round house kicked him causing her foot and leg to connect to his midsection with a splash as a growl escaped her muzzle.

Thoroughly distracted by his primal response to her, Liquidator collapsed in a puddle causing her to huff with satisfaction and demand, "Well? Are you just going to sit there in a puddle looking pretty or are you going to answer me?"

_I hope this is a good installment and that Liquidator isn't too out of character, but he is having a lot of unusual emotions to deal with, and the fact that the female he is attracted to has a temper and isn't going to just cower is part of her appeal after all._

As always thank you for reading and I am always open to suggestions and requests so please contact me and review this if you can, thanks Irual.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: All of the characters invented by Disney as well as their respective environments, appearances, and other related intellectual properties belong to the Disney Corporation and are being used to tell these stories for absolutely NO monetary gain of any kind. All I receive is feedback from readers which I love to get so please enjoy the plot and let me know what you think thank you, Irual_

Liquidator swished back and forth in the office space he had rented as Bud Flood and mused over his next move. It had been nearly a week since his encounter with Gretchen at the convention center and it was time to up the ante so to speak. Suddenly caught up in the memory of her and what had happened, he was taken back to when she had actually attempted to fight him. He recalled their conversation just as vividly now as he had when it had happened…. In fact, the sensual and very ticklish feel of her fur brushing through his liquid form had almost been too much for him.

He had been caught a little off guard at her roundhouse kick and had collapsed into a puddle to give himself time to consider how to react to her attack since he didn't actually want to hurt or frighten her. After all it wasn't as if threatening her was going to get him what he wanted; this sale was going to require a more soft sell approach. And while Liquidator was far more comfortable with the kind of strong arm tactics that resulted in mounds of cash being dumped at his feet, Bud was at least a bit more familiar with having far more…satisfying reward; especially considering their target demographic for this affair. Much to his shock and dismay, Bud and Licky found that once again both sides of him suddenly craved her with an intensity that was both unexpected and almost more of a rush than the adrenaline surge that resulted from a successful caper.

With this in mind he had waited quietly while she demanded, "Well? Are you just going to sit there in a puddle looking pretty or are you going to answer me?"

And of course, no salesman worth the title was going to let an opening like that pass him by. So Liquidator had swept her off her feet with one of his crowd pleasing and impressive displays of aquatic prowess. Then, keeping his lower half in a fountain like state; he had moved behind the stacks of supplies he had arranged and sequestered her within the cozy area he had left clear inside the stacks to ensure their privacy and settled himself comfortably to begin his sales campaign.

Leaning against the stacked, plastic wrapped bags of mulch Liquidator offered smoothly," While it is true that 9 out of 10 consumers would agree that my clear, cool form is always aesthetically pleasing; and to the untrained eye I am also delightfully accessible in any shape…."

He flexed his shoulders and arms in an undeniably male way and continued with more than a hint of a growl flavoring his usually bubbly tone, "I have to object to the term pretty, the Liquidator is much more than merely pretty….I am not only capable of problem solving on the corporate scale," he gestured to the surrounding merchandise and continued persuasively lowering his tone and volume to a much more intimate level, "But I am sure to prove innovative in other ways that you would find most profitable both professionally and personally."

With each phrase, he moved a little closer and at the whispered word 'personally' he brushed his lips against her muzzle before sliding smoothly back to gage her reaction. Gretchen was more than a bit thunderstruck by what she now realized was a personal interest that the Liquidator had decided to show in her. And to her amazement she found that the touch of his surface in her fur wasn't unpleasant; but her alpha nature insisted on figuring what his actual angle was.

She demanded cautiously, "What makes you think this can go anywhere? You and I don't seem that compatible."

Scooping her up and keeping her in his arms Bud offered softly, "I wasn't born like this Gretchen. And I have done my research…. We are more alike than you think, and a partnership between two talented people such as us isn't an opportunity to be wasted…."

Hearing noises outside the stacks Liquidator cursed the inopportune timing of the various underlings approaching but he was careful to keep his reaction hidden from Gretchen so that she wouldn't react aggressively. Listening intently for any signs that he had been discovered, and looking into Gretchen's golden, softly glowing eyes; Bud decided that he had made some progress showing her he knew how to treat an alpha and a lady and even more encouragingly; she didn't seem opposed to his offer.

Hearing the noises coming much too close for comfort and deciding that this was the perfect time to make an impressive exit; he added a rider to his statement by warming his watery form slightly and caressing his fingers against one of her pricked ears that was swiveling as she too heard the others approaching.

Gretchen shivered as the touch of his warm fingers against her fur and the subtle disturbance of the individual hairs along the edge of her ears triggered a strong desire to reciprocate the gesture. But her hands plunged into Liquidator's chest instead of pressing against a solid surface soaking her sleeves.

Gretchen gasped in surprise since she had temporarily forgotten that the Liquidator wasn't a flesh and blood male and this abrupt reminder broke the intimate mood. Undaunted by this minor setback, Bud swept the liquid off her leaving her completely dry and unaffected by this mishap, on the outside at least.

Licky left her with their offer saying, "A busy executive like yourself has many demands on her time, and I understand your position completely. "

He waggled his eyebrows (or more accurately the area he had formed into his forehead suggestively) and continued, "Why don't you have your staff show you more of my well documented and undeniable talents? My company, the Flood Bottled Water Company is actually one of the most stable blue chip companies in my industry."

He gestured towards himself and added as he prepared to disappear "and since I have been circumspect since my abrupt change to a new market no one even suspects that Bud Flood is anything but a law abiding and successful businessman with both excellent credit and a reclusive nature."

At this Gretchen raised her ruff and stared at the Liquidator, Clearly she was suspicious and not inclined to listen for much longer so Bud added, hoping to up his credibility saying, "I admit that Bud WAS investigated early on…but thanks in no small part to the Liquidator's flashy reputation and that Darkwing Duck's peripheral involvement in my current situation; I am actually in a better position now than I have been for almost two years. "

Brushing his watery lips against her hand he bowed and offered, "You don't need to concern yourself with my harming your underlings. I'm not one to let a valuable opportunity pass me by and I want you to see my flexibility both mentally and physically as an asset in out future together."

With this he had placed her carefully on her feet beside her display area as her underlings came closer and made sure he was posed attractively in the lights as they came on. Then he had swished away in a splash, being careful not to get any on her; before anyone else had discovered his presence. The satisfying sounds of their surprise at seeing her and the missing shipments waiting for them. And the sound of Gretchen's forceful voice as she took control of the situation and the organization of the supplies; had tempted him to stay and watch her, but…. Bud wanted to work out the next bit of his plan to make her his and that was going to require a clear head so reluctantly he and Licky had gone away to plan.

Grinning to himself at the pleasant memory of what he hoped was his successful opening move, Bud went to his specially constructed, water resistant computer and began to search for the items he needed. Granted being the super powered villain Liquidator meant he wasn't usually an online shopper, but looking at the available merchandise online was a good way to plan where he needed to go to acquire what he needed after all. Having given her a few days to finish her obligations and consider his qualifications now was the time to act….

Gretchen glanced around her small office space and growled in frustration. While it was good for morale and cost effective to avoid having large offices to maintain; being stuck in this tiny office was definitely a downside when she wanted to pace. Leland crept cautiously to her desk and placed the stack of reports and contracts on her desk before moving quietly back to his own cubicle. Gretchen started to ignore this, after all, Leland needed to get used to handling an Alpha's temper…but at the tremulous tapping on her doorframe she spun to glare at her niece who flinched visibly.

It was then Gretchen realized that she had been thrown far more off balance emotionally than she had first supposed by her encounter with the Liquidator. Calming herself and throttling down her annoyance as the younger female waited frozen in the doorway Gretchen asked carefully, "What do you need Heidi?"

Heidi gathered her wits and stepped into the room to say quietly, "I have the information here you requested and…well."

Gretchen sighed and calmed herself further before trying to encourage the youngster to say what she needed to. After all it wasn't smart to have her temper in control for long and none of her people had done anything wrong…. It was her with the issues not them this time. Gretchen hadn't built her position with the family company overnight after all, and she was smart enough to know that now wasn't a good time to undermine her position by intimidating her underlings.

With this in mind, Gretchen gestured to her desk and the chair in front of it and said, "sit down and take a deep breath, I won't bite…not today anyway."

At the wry tone in her Aunt's voice Heidi relaxed slightly and offered a sheaf of papers to her boss and smiled slightly before saying, "Clara and I have analyzed the available information on the Fearsome Five and the Liquidator and…as far as we can tell; The Liquidator is usually far more concerned with direct cash profit than he is in pulling a stunt like the one you described at the trade show. He is more of an extortionist and exhibitionist than he is a con man or a swindler but that is hardly a positive recommendation. And as far as we can tell he has never shown any interest in any sort of emotional blackmail or…. "

At this comment Gretchen was surprised to realize her ears had flattened against her skull but she was careful not to react otherwise as her niece continued cautiously. Eager to move the conversation away from whatever she had said that had further upset Gretchen Heidi shuffled her paperwork and continued "The one called Bushroot is usually concerned with plants in that he can evidently communicate with and use them in his criminal activities…. But we haven't found any confirmed evidence of the kinds of crimes that these people are usually associated with since approximately April in the tri-state area."

Heidi's sister Clara came in just then and offered her own report as her sister stepped to the desk and placed the hard copies and notes that showed her research on a new stack. Clara was as svelte and graceful as her sister and almost two years older. Like Heidi she had on her usual hooded cape and business skirt ensemble and in just a few seconds she had assessed the mood in the room and decided what to do. Clara's added maturity and poise shown through as she slid her hood down to expose her throat and used body language to diffuse Gretchen's temper and continued to report their findings s that their Alpha could focus on the actual situation and not on the weirdness from last week.

Speaking clearly Clara said, "There have been several reports of cash robberies and small scale vandalism that the SCPD had reported to be the work of the other two subordinate members of the gang. Quackerjack, a toymaker gone criminally insane and a rodent-like fellow called Megavolt who reportedly has electrical affinities. The only member of this cabal we haven't found much on recently is their leader…the masked, caped and violently inclined Avian Negaduck."

At this conformation of her instincts Gretchen sighed and visibly looked discouraged. This reaction concerned both Heidi and Clara but before they could switch gears and ask their Aunt what was wrong…aside from the involvement of super powered villains in their business of course. She gestured commandingly to her underlings who stepped out of the way before swinging her deep red, hooded cape around her shoulders and marching with her usual determined stride out the door…this situation called for room to move and the parking lot was big enough to provide a decent run around its outer perimeter if she circled it enough times.

Neptunia wasn't worried at first, Hal was just a few fathoms away and the warm current that they were following was a stable and well traveled roadway within the coastal migration routes for dozens of species. But her finely honed sense for trouble was starting to nag and she wasn't sure why. This was especially true since none of the local sea creatures were acting upset…well no more than they usually were at any rate. Everything in the ocean was always on the lookout for their next meal after all and it wouldn't due to be caught off guard.

Keeping this in mind and swimming strongly away from a pod of gossiping dolphins, Neptunia put her unusual intelligence and cognitive powers to work as she circled the pod at a discrete distance. The group of mammals were healthy and eight adults strong. There were several calves swimming freely between the surface and the upper current where the adults lurked and the females kept interrupting their conversations to call the calves back to them every few minutes and this distraction meant that they were gossiping at a far slower rate than was usual for them.

Listening closely Neptunia felt a rush of adrenaline as she moved south and east toward the oyster beds further out beyond the estuary after sending a call to Hal on her conch shell to bring him this way. According to the gossip there was something seriously wrong and as the self proclaimed protector of the oceans it was up to her to take care of this sort of thing.

Arriving at the nearest oyster beds, Neptunia focused her attention on the shellfish below her rapidly moving fins and was instantly assaulted by the thoughts of dozens of the disturbed bivalves. She moved quietly down to the bed of oysters and waited for the loud clamor to sort itself out. Hal arrived and waited attentively, guarding his friend as she shook off the effects of sorting through so many voices at once and then swimming along side her as she continued on to the next bed.

Noticing Hal, Neptunia said grimly, "something is really wrong Hal. Most of these oysters have begun new seed pearls, and they all say they had pearls already but someone opened them up and took out the old pearls."

She gestured to where a small patch of empty shells testified to recent activity of the fatal kind and grimaced at the rather gruesome tale that several of the oldest oysters whispered to her continuing her explanation to Hal in octopus, "Someone made an example of those bivalves and then the currents themselves demanded that the oysters open themselves up and give up their pearls?" That doesn't make sense!"

The ocean doesn't do that! And there haven't been any land dwellers here. This is a protected area and too deep for most non scuba divers. All these bivalves have been disturbed though and…."

Hal gurgled and her marine telepathy translated the huge octopus' thoughts as he communicated with her. '_The water here is definitely not the same as it was the last….'_

Just then they were bowled over by a cooler and powerful surge of water that cloyed unpleasantly in their gills and they were so busy choking that a passing tiger shark eyed them with hungry interest; but the two of them recovered and at Neptunia's glare and fierce cussing telepathically in Shark he swam off to find more accommodating prey.

Cruising back toward Audubon bay and chuckling evilly over the memory of Neptunia and her inky companion's difficulty in breathing through him, and their apparent puzzlement over his activities. Liquidator relinquished control to Bud as they stepped out onto the waterfront of St. Canard. His plans would work out nicely no matter what happened with Gretchen. Those pearls had all taken hold and they would make a tidy profit in a year or so that would come in handy regardless of anything else, and if things went well he might even need a legitimate source of income by then. It was a little strange that he had been able to hear and understand Neptunia's telepathic projections but being made of liquid; and her powers being centered in the sea and water most likely accounted for that.

Bud grinned to himself as he retrieved their disguise and their present and admitted with reluctant admiration that Neptunia had quite the vocabulary of salty 'sailor' talk available to her especially for a hero. Then putting all thoughts of those dimwitted hero types out of his head, he swished quickly toward Mousetown and the headquarters of Gretchen's Garden Goods. Ordinarily this tiny hamlet was too smalltime to hold anything of interest for a big city operator like 'The Liquidator' but he paused just outside of the town to gaze at a bill board that had a proud civic slogan and a five pointed golden star on it.

At the top of the sign was the proclamation, Welcome to Mousetown home of the 'Fabulous Five' and friends! Centered within the star's glittering center was the name Mickey Mouse and scattered artfully around the large star were smaller stars.

The first he noticed had a pair of cheerful mice in it the female wearing a distinctive pokka-dotted dress and bow and the male in a red shorts set with yellow shoes. The next had a pair of mallard styled ducks in it. The male of whom was dressed in a naval uniform while the female had a pale pink dress and bow ensemble. The third star had a tall and gangly dog-like fellow in a green hat an orange shirt and a brown vest.

Beside the mice was a much more ordinary brownish yellow colored dog whose bright red collar had the name Pluto stamped on its front. While the forth smaller star on the billboard had a pair of happy chipmunks one with a small, dark nose dressed in a leather jacket and brown fedora and the other in a red Hawaiian shirt with a large red nose.

Snorting to himself, Liquidator muttered, "I hope Negaduck doesn't find out about that particular slogan…he hates cute, cuddly and sweet and the fabulous five is far too close to our moniker for comfort."

Grimacing as he continued to take in the small town atmosphere and comfortable, peaceful surroundings here, He continued to himself, "They are almost as bad as the cute little lost bunnies and I sure don't want to have to try and initiate damage control for one of Negaduck's rampages just now."

A police car puttered past and the cops inside didn't even notice the super villain was moving past them. In fact, the younger of the two policemen in the patrol car actually waved him on past the billboard and stopped traffic so he could cross the street.

As Liquidator fought to control his urge to laugh he admitted with a twinge of what might have been concern, although he would have vehemently denied any such emotion…thinking to himself as he hurried onward, 'I doubt the people here will be able to put up much of a fight if he decides to flatten this place. If Negaduck DOES take offence I'll have to remember to warn Gretchen…even if she decides to be stubborn, I don't want to risk her having to focus on rebuilding her business; I want her to focus on me.'

Ignoring the other signs, proclaiming various civic organizations and their local charitable works as well as his nerves at the thought of Gretchen being around when Negaduck was on one of his rampages; Bud moved calmly down the street and after consulting the map he had laminated and placed in his trench coat pocket he soon made the necessary turns and came upon his destination.

Moving smoothly towards the receptionist's desk he offered his card to the lady duck seated there and said, "The name's Bud Flood and I have an appointment to see Gretchen Growler at 10."

Surprised at the sight of Bud dressed in his trench coat, gloves and with his hat pulled down low so his face wasn't clearly visible, the secretary looked a little doubtful as she accepted the damp business card which read…Bud Flood CEO of the Flood water co. St. Canard.

Looking in the appointment calendar she matched the card to the 10 AM. Slot and said agreeably, "Please wait here Mr. Flood and I'll announce you."

But she was speaking to an empty lobby because the second she had looked down at her desk, Bud had swished almost silently down the hall and knocked on the door that had Gretchen Growler CEO on a discrete nameplate bolted to the door. At his firm knock, Gretchen looked up from her paperwork and tensed as he stepped inside and shut the door with a flourish.

Bowing he placed the small box on her desk and said, "Seeing as how we are both successful business people I thought that it would be best for me to formally introduce myself. And since I am hoping that we will develop a mutually close relationship…I thought that presenting you with this little token would meet with your approval."

Knowing that this would be her best chance to seize control of this meeting, Gretchen stood slowly and glared at him from across the desk. Just as she locked eyes with this male and started to speak they were interrupted by the rather breathless arrival of the secretary and Leland.

Breaking eye contact with her visitor momentarily Gretchen stopped Leland at the door with a glare and he dragged the Avian back with him as Gretchen said, "We don't wish to be disturbed until further notice."

As they backed out and shut the door Liquidator surged to the forefront of the conversation saying, "This special offer is only good for a limited time. Today only you can receive the following token of esteem at no extra cost or obligation to you. It is recommended that the wise consumer act now for best results."

And impatiently he gestured to the box on the desk but he was forced to pause in his sales pitch as Gretchen held his gaze and leaned forward slightly.

Placing a hand on either side of the box she demanded quietly, "I don't buy a pig in a poke especially not from a male. Take off that hat and let me see you."

In a daze, Bud removed his hat and said in a much deeper tone than Liquidator usually used, "Anything to please a Lady."

After holding his eyes for a moment she gestured to the box and asked, "Should I be concerned?"

And at this Bud's mouth quirked up and he replied, "Certainly, but with me involved your satisfaction is guaranteed."

At this boast Gretchen found her curiosity was peeked and even though the super villain was undeniably dangerous; the danger in having him interested in her was part of the appeal. SO far all he hadn't done anything that dangerous and it was rare that any male interested her especially since he was anything but subservient. Opening the box, Gretchen was surprised to find a delicate filigreed necklace in what she was sure was platinum inset with dozens of matched pearls. The fact that this was so extravagant a gift wasn't lost on her, nor was the fact that most likely it; or at least the precious metals and gems to make it had been stolen…but as the Liquidator removed it from the box Gretchen found that she couldn't object as it was fastened around her neck.

Speaking softly Bud said, "You can wear this with the pride and dignity you deserve. No one will miss those pearls since I harvested them myself; and it's easy enough for me to work different metals from raw ore with my watery affiliations."

Bud was delighted at the look of the necklace as it lay against the ruff of fur at the base of her throat and it was only with great discipline he remained still as she reached to touch the token. He hadn't expected to feel so strongly attracted to her in the first place, but the fact that his body was demanding that he pursue her so intensely was still something of a shock.

Bud had always assumed that his transformation into this liquid form had meant that his body's mating instincts had changed just as radically as the rest of him but now he knew better. Unable to help himself he moved closer than was necessary for a business meeting. A chemical rush filled him with energy and he could feel himself vibrating as the scent of the healthy and attractive Alpha filled his nostrils.

Following canid protocol he lowered his head and exposed his vulnerable throat and sidled closer hoping to encourage her to give him a personal opening to ask her on a dinner date. Gracefully, Gretchen swayed a little as her instincts responded to the gesture he had made, but then the feel of the gloved fingers against her cheek snapped her back to reality.

Stridently she spoke while reaching to remove the necklace saying, "I suppose you crafted the metals and such into this yourself as well then?"

Bud admitted, "No, but with access to the internet and my company's excellent credit. It is simplicity itself to hire the kind of delicate workmanship that I hoped would best display itself against the backdrop of your beauty and strength."

With a shake of his head, Liquidator objected to her trying to take off the jewelry saying, "Customer satisfaction is my specialty. If it doesn't please you I am prepared to try again. And I can offer you far more than just this kind of ornamentation."

Pausing Gretchen said carefully as all her fur fluffed at the touch of his gloves against her hands, "it's not that…. I just don't see how this can go anywhere Liquidator. I can't risk my company or my reputation by becoming associated with a known and notorious criminal."

He winced visibly and then said, "We have far more to offer than just our talents as the Liquidator Gretchen."

He glanced at the clock and tucked a stack of pamphlets on her desk outlining his proposed partnership between the Bud Flood water company and her landscaping business in order to fulfill the contracts she had bid on in St. Canard before placing his hat back on his head. Stepping back to a much less personal distance and adjusting his coat Bud prepared to take his leave. She still had the necklace on and he wasn't about to take it back now…when she looked at the jewelry, hopefully, she would think of them as suitors and not just the criminal Liquidator.

Rubbing his muzzle against her hands and bestowing a firm businesslike handshake on her and tucking his card in her hand he said, "You have my contact information in the proposal there and I hope you will allow me the honor of taking you to the Aviary in Duckburg next week. I have made us reservations in the Sirius room and if all goes well I will have something really interesting to show you then."

Intrigued, Gretchen found herself nodding and agreeing to meet him in Duckburg next Friday night which all by itself should have set off her instincts for trouble. Much to her chagrin however, those instincts weren't the loudest ones at the moment and before she could pull herself together Bud Flood or Liquidator had taken his leave and left her with the prospectus and her own circling thoughts.

Bud grimaced to himself, Gretchen still had spoken as though only Liquidator had been in the office and that wasn't what he had hoped for. But she had responded to his gift and to him, he knew that now was the time to see about changing his circumstances to meet his new goals and unless his instincts had gone completely Duckburg was the place to start.

_In the next chapter I hope to merge this story with Grounding Elmo's timeline and I hope that the people who read that one find this recognizable and that the trio of villain stories are easy to follow and that people give me feedback. Thank You and I hope to have the next chapter of this worked out and posted soon. _

_I am working diligently on Through Rose Colored Glass and My son the Vigilante which will take my timeline through the wedding that I have been planning for since the series was canceled. And 00Duck is perking along nicely (although finding the time to type is getting a bit difficult.) Rest assured that I plan on finishing this and my next three stories in Darkwing Duck fandom and hopefully more as well so please let me know that I am not the only fan still out there. _

_(I JUST got the first 3 issues of the Brand NEW Darkwing Duck comic by BOOM Studios and So far its looking pretty good) Please support out favorite Ducky hero and go out and find his new comic if you can. Your friend and fan of Disney's Ducky-verse Irual. _


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Disney's characters all belong to them and I am borrowing them to tell these adventures just for the satisfaction of giving them a new (and hopefully fun and interesting) voice with which to entertain you out here in cyberspace. Please respond with feedback in the form of reviews or private messages since this is all I receive in return for many hours of typing. Thanks and enjoy even if you can't review…just knowing other people read my plots is great!_

Just outside of Duckburg, nestled in the surrounding heavily wooded lands that bordered the state and federal parklands was an extensive homestead that belonged to the Beagle clan. The matriarch of the clan was Granny Babalawo who had originally moved here from her homeland of West Africa almost forty-five years ago and aside from Ma Beagle her family seldom questioned anything she said or did. This was usually a good thing for all concerned since Granny was a arcane practitioner along the same lines as the Mage-born and Monster-kind that were becoming a bit more well known now thanks to high profile pioneers like Morgana Macabre.

That tall and exotic female who was now a minor celebrity in the tri state area had always been fairly open about her culture and its differences. Living as she did in a three-story, gothic-styled, spooky mansion that moved apparently randomly around St. Canard; and being publicly engaged to the city's resident crime fighter Darkwing Duck Granny knew it was unlikely that Morgana or her culture would have remained under the media's radar no matter what else happened. But after May of this year things had gotten very much out of hand and Granny wanted desperately to keep her family as low key as possible; especially since the magical side of things was heating up again and she had no idea how to protect her family from the consequences.

Not for the first time, Granny wished that she had had the courage to try and call a Kindred spirit to her, but as always…her own stubborn pride and the self-reliance that had been drilled into her by her own Grandma back in their village stopped her from even attempting to do anything that might be noticed by anyone else. Calling a kindred was in fact a very personal and private act, but magically broadcasting herself along the planes of power was something she just hadn't dared to do. It would mean not only admitting to her weaknesses, but admitting them to someone else and that was something she had never dared do.

Her family had remained outside the boundaries that the Monster Realm had established centuries ago to protect themselves from persecution, therefore, part of the price they had paid to flourish here in the Normal world was the ingrained need to remain unnoticed…at least magically. Of course, in her line, only one or two births per generation tended to have any kind of active talent and not all of those were Mage-like. So far, at least in this next batch of descendants; the only two of her great grandchildren who might need arcane knowledge were too young to be taught anything yet…but that didn't stop her from wishing for someone to share her knowledge and responsibilities with.

Ignoring the by now familiar twinge of loneliness in her heart and with the self discipline and experience of a lifetime she determinedly shut out the sensations of her many relatives in and around the house and moved back toward her work table. Ignoring the flutter of nerves in her belly, Granny stared at the wide flat dish that she used as a scrying mirror and then dumped the clear, clean water from the dish into the potted plant beside the workbench.

Very soon now her guests were going to arrive and if the Clan was going to survive then her preparations were going to have to be enough…. Those city slickers from St. Canard were nothing but trouble for certain, but it was time to be honest with herself. This was her own karma that was coming back to haunt her and it wasn't their fault that they were being bandied about by fate even though she wished she could blame them.

Liquidator swished his way through the system of storm drains and drainage canals that lined the highway on his way to Duckburg from Mousetown. He was humming to himself as he felt his energy peaking as it used to instead of feeling drained all the time as he had since the problems they had in May with that strange, dark plumed rooster Lafayette. The most unusual thing about this was that he didn't even realize he was humming until the vibrations from the various concrete and metal pathways reverberated back at him, usually he was aware and alert simply as an ordinary precaution.

Amused at himself he flowed up and out of what he considered to be his own personal travel system to flood discretely around the plants growing along his path. He kept his surface tension taunt to minimize his volume loss as he neared his destination Bud had a feeling that this wasn't going to be as easy as Liquidator assumed and he wanted as much energy available to them as possible. Granny Beagle wasn't anyone he wanted to fool around with, but…with Morgana Macabre being securely entrenched in the law abiding side of things now, Granny was his best hope for what he needed.

Ignoring his nerves, he and Liquidator moved towards the house and paused as they felt the energy of what he now knew were Granny's magical wards. After having been enslaved by the Dark adept, he was exceedingly sensitive to magical emanations but other than a general idea of the sort of energy that had been laid out and activated he hadn't a clue what to expect. Deciding to pause and see what the tingling meant if he could; after all a good sales campaign started with appropriate research and a little more knowledge couldn't hurt their position he and Liquidator shifted quietly and submerged themselves out of sight.

Despite this, Bud and Liquidator were almost caught off guard as a small group of Beagles rushed past clearly on the alert and Liquidator's trademark smirk made an appearance as he slid past the group unnoticed and continued on into the house. Hiding behind the door he waited and then ducked into the front parlor where he could sense Granny was since her energy was strongest there. Granny looked up from her charms as the watery villain made his entrance, careful not to show surprise and as he became his recognizable Canid shape she released her protective warding charm. This temporarily trapped the Liquidator inside a faintly glowing circle.

Seemingly unconcerned by this, Liquidator crossed his arms and perked his ears up smiling at the older female as he offered, "Greetings! I have a business proposition that I hope you will consider."

Granny watched her visitor through her wine colored mask, careful not to show him just how much of her power was being channeled to keep him contained. Taking a slightly deeper breath Granny waited for the infamous villain to continue. Impressed by his strength and deturmination; even though she hadn't expected to be, Babalawo shifted her power a little feeling the strain as Liquidator surged inside the circle. Briefly she paused to wonder at the fact that Morgana seemed to regularly interact with these sorts of people and from what she heard…the young female did so without straining her power much although the rumors HAD also said that Morgana tended to have trouble with her results and her aim.

Irritated at the twinge of…envy that she felt at the thought of so young a witch having that much Power at her command so young, Granny sternly focused on her visitor and what he wanted. After all, if she wanted to avoid being karmatically indebted when she died and was brought to judgment then fixing what she could was the least that she had to do.

Granny didn't like to admit it of course, but even at the height of her power and youth she hadn't had nearly as much raw power or ability as Morgana Macabre was rumored to have at her fingertips but that wasn't going to keep her from protecting the family…. She was just going to have to try and keep this encounter as short as possible so her Power wouldn't run out while the Normals were here.

Besides, from what little she had been allowed to see, Morgana was going to need all her talent and ability if she was going to keep up with her mate and children. Being bonded to someone who understood the needs of a mage was hard enough much less being bonded to a Normal-born Guardian; however comical and clownish he appeared. Granted, according to what she had heard from Arian and Davu Morgana had a plethora of other mage-born, Monster-kind and Sensitives as blood kin and allies to help her to teach him and Guardians weren't exactly magical nulls even though they seldom had the ability to tap into their Power themselves….

Still dealing with someone like Darkwing was something she was glad to have avoided. Gizmoduck was bad enough after all and he hadn't been born a hero even though he had embraced the call and was unmistakably Duckburg's protector.

Granny Babalawo glared at the Liquidator and said, "I'm a very busy female and you aren't even kin. Why should I listen to you?"

Bud nodded and said in an agreeable tone, "Our market research supports your claim, but…surely you could use someone of my considerable talents? What I have in mind is a sort of limited partnership. And The Liquidator understands the value of skills and talents that are unique."

Gesturing rather arrogantly towards his own unmistakably unique body and continuing his sales pitch he said, "I intend for us both to profit in this enterprise and that's the bottom line."

Narrowing her eyes Granny Babalawo looked both unsympathetic and unimpressed and abruptly the confident, and somewhat overbearing super villain was replaced by a miserable canid named Bud. Quietly he began explaining about his reactions to the beauteous Gretchen and also his idea that given how he had been forcibly attuned to magical energy he hoped that magic would be able to supply him with the solution to his difficulties.

Before she could say anything though he added, showing a surprising amount of sense, that he understood that even if his plan worked and his old flesh and blood form was restored it wouldn't guarantee success, but all he wanted was a chance. At this, Granny KNEW she had to at least try and help him. Giving this canid the chance to find love and a life mate would go a long way toward balancing her debt to him since she had known he was enslaved by a mage and had done nothing to free or heal him.

Gesturing to the large window of the parlor she said, "I don't have the time to try and accomplish what you want right now Bud. More of your kind…."

Liquidator surged to the forefront of the conversation then, angry at being rejected and the two of them broke out of the ward as he exclaimed, "But wait! Operators are standing by, act NOW or face severe penalties!"

As he reached for Granny, desperate to make her help him, she gestured and the next thing Liquidator knew, he and Bud were peering out at Granny from a large, sealed Quackerware bowl that had sucked him in and was now securely enthroned on her workbench.

Apparently undisturbed by his outburst, and the fact that he was now encased in the plastic prison, Granny Beagle finished her sentence saying, "More of your Clan are coming here and they are in a far worse case than you. In fact I am not sure whether they will live to see moonrise but I give you my word that I will do my best for all of you."

Both Bud and liquidator took hope from the glimmer of what he thought might be sympathy in her tone as she turned to face the doorway and he saw none other than a thoroughly beaten and enraged Negaduck come staggering into the room. He was carrying another masked bleeding duck, this one an unconscious female with blood smeared platinum blonde hair and from the copious amounts of blood on her torso, Bud doubted that she was going to wake up.

Granny made another gesture and the door to the parlor room swung shut behind Negaduck. Seemingly unimpressed by both his injured condition and by his frantic fury, Granny waited while he placed the female on the couch and then pushed him prone too saying, "Well, well I thought there was something different about you city boy."

Her mage senses went on full alert as she slid a cautious finger over the loop of Spell Chain around his neck and her eyes narrowed still more as she saw a deliberate twinkle from the identical length of metal around the other duck's neck. Rather shockingly, Granny felt a warning tingle that signaled that she was in deep trouble if she tried to interfere with the artifact either of them wore and even though she could feel the remnants of her old charms somewhere in the swirling Power gathering itself in the parlor; it was clear that the spells involved didn't welcome her.

Negaduck jerked and hissed as the motion jarred his torso and the cacophony of injuries there but the motion had the desired effect of pulling the loop of Spell Chain out of her reach and before her eyes the Chains both disappeared from her mage senses and then her physical eyes. If it hadn't been for the charms that had apparently been absorbed into the metal she would have sworn that the artifacts had disappeared, at least until the twosome now on her sofa died or got better.

Negaduck started to say something, she could tell it was going to be a plea disguised as a threat but before he could get anything to come out of his beak, the Chain surged taking the duck into a healing trance and forcing him unconscious. The female beside him never woke from her own slumber but Granny was quick to notice that her grip on the villain's body tightened as they healed. And to her chagrin, she also saw for a brief instant that this duck was apparently a sort of living Power well similar to a guardian born and it was his energy that had split the Chain and formed the bond between himself and the female he had also claimed as his own.

Snorting to herself as her Mage senses told her more than she wanted to know about the twosome since it wasn't likely he understood even a tenth of what was happening between himself and the surprisingly ordinary female he was wrapped around. All she could hope for now was that whoever had forged the artifact he had likely stolen would realize that she and her Clan hadn't been involved in the theft, but given the sheer rarity of that Chain…that wasn't likely.

Granny suppressed a sigh as her wards detected the arrival of someone so powerful he was likely a council member. This day just kept getting better and better, but at least it wasn't likely that whoever this was intended her or her kin harm. Especially since whoever it was, was waiting politely outside her boundaries but it was best not to keep him waiting too long. Explaining that she hadn't stolen that Chain wasn't going to be pleasant even if she submitted to a truth spell but that would spare her family.

After exchanging greetings and explaining the situation here as best she could, Granny was relieved to know that Mintaka Spellbinder Macabre was apparently not only willing to help her with the transformation spell that should enable Bud and Liquidator to regain their flesh and blood state; but he was also apparently already prepared to take on the two ducks on her couch as well. His quiet dignity precluded any opportunity for her to be too nosey, but at least this complicated situation wasn't solely her responsibility now.

Glancing at his preliminary work, Granny had to admit that he was far more experienced and his Kindred spirit allowed him far more flexibility and depth than she had ever considered. From the comments that he made to the huge cat, Granny was glad to surmise that he wasn't entirely sure exactly how the spell was going to work any more than she was. It was a small sop to her pride that he also seemed to have decided that her initial approach was the most likely to succeed and although they couldn't be certain what the repercussions would be; but it was the best way they had come up with to give the canid back control of his life and choices but the days surprises weren't quite over yet.

As the Master craft-mage continued to work out the spells they needed to try and restore Bud's physical body they kept running into a problem that neither of them had anticipated. Finally Grimm offered cautiously, _'I have an idea Chosen, but…it's very risky even if he agrees to allow it.'_

Mintaka set aside the remnants of glass he had again overfilled with Power and asked tiredly, "what idea is that Grimm?"

Mintaka paled as Grimm spoke and then leaned heavily on the workbench before deliberately moving to check on the still unconscious Avians who were now entirely healed and to his surprise clean; although the rips and tears in their clothes testified to just how serious their injuries had been. Undaunted Grimm continued to present his case and Mintaka decided to let Granny know what Grimm's idea was before deciding.

After all, she was involved in this too and the backlash was likely to be uglier for her than it was for them. If felt like a bit of a cop out, but she was the one who had left Bud and Quackerjack to suffer and it was she who was going to have to front the debt for the watery villain and for the other duck that had been possessed and crippled. Not that he minded being responsible for teaching and succoring Drake and Dirk, they were intelligent, and Drake was bound to his niece after all. But since he was Power bound to help the twins he was selfishly grateful that he and the Macabre's weren't going to have to take on the rest of Dirk's clan directly.

He swallowed hard and reminded himself that senior council members didn't faint on the job as Grimm admitted in their mindscape, _'not yet anyway.'_

Sighing and turning from the couch he stated as calmly as possible, "its going to have to be a curse. That way his body can flux between states. Otherwise there isn't a way to keep him physically healthy and mentally stable."

Granny Babalawo paled and nearly fell into her chair but realizing the truth she nodded and added, "but only if he willingly agrees to it, I can't risk an unwilling curse. My family depends on me whether they know it or not and I am the only one who can protect them unless one of my great, great grandchildren comes up Talented."

Nodding Mintaka offered, "we are having to adapt to the rest of the world or face extinction…all the signs and portents say so. You have other options for your kin and knowledge of how to blend in that can be used to your advantage, but its best if we speak of this privately. Release your prisoner and after we have done our best we will speak of this again."

Bud and Liquidator wanted to agree right away, but he was too cagey to let his eagerness overpower his caution so he restrained himself as Mintaka outlined what they wanted to do. Pausing, Mintaka and Granny watched as the clear surface of Bud/Liquidator flowed with his emotions while he thought. But the more they considered the offer the better it seemed since both sides of him were reluctant to become entirely flesh and blood. Being able to switch states would mean he could maintain both his identity as Bud Flood and his career as The Liquidator; IF it worked the only catch was that the mages were bound to put some sort of price on the spell and he wanted to know what they wanted in return.

A short time later, Bud was shivering in an oversized red shirt, brown pants and a small black burglar styled mask as he contemplated his fingernails for the first time in almost two years. Taking a deep breath he glanced from under his dark brown eyebrows at the couch as the Avian Mage Mintaka tucked a pillow under Negaduck's head and finished spooning some sort of dark red syrup into both of the unconscious, masked duck's beaks.

As the Mage sat in a chair beside a low ottoman and pulled a steaming cup of tea from thin air, Bud finally felt as though his legs were steady enough to hold him up and crossed the room to get a closer look at his boss and his mystery companion. Ordinarily, even as the fairly unstoppable and comparatively invulnerable Liquidator Negaduck inspired more than a little fear in him, why he wasn't sure…but the opportunity to indulge in his curiosity without fear of reprisal from the duck who he had to admit was a compelling enigma was too much for him to resist.

As he approached, Bud found himself carefully reconsidering the profit margin in the this idea and debating on heading directly for the door since the huge tiger-like creature that so far had ignored him entirely was now watching his approach with a distinctly predatory gleam in his piercing, light blue eyes.

Mintaka gestured and he heard the distinctive click of deadbolts sliding into place on both the windows and the door. Gesturing calmly to the seat beside him the mage offered, "sit down Bud, I need to explain some of the particulars of the curse to you before you go and they will not awaken for at least a day. Don't worry, I have no intentions of keeping you here once we finish our little chat, and Granny Babalawo Beagle isn't going to leave you twisting on the gallows of fate either."

Shocked at the feeling of dread this turn of phrase invoked and the unfamiliar sensation of having his stomach drop out from under him that he hadn't felt in so long as his physical body reacted to his nervousness, Bud fell onto the ottoman. To his surprise, the Avian caught and balanced him while he regained his equilibrium.

Bud found that he was unable to look away or interrupt as Mintaka quietly continued to expound while his huge cat settled beside the sofa and laying his head on Negaduck seemed to fall asleep. "As we first discussed, your body will not remain flesh and blood all the time, you will have to use your other form at least part of the time or you will transform automatically when the geas becomes too strong. And I wouldn't try to escape the moral and ethical clauses either."

Bud flinched and nodded as he recited, "I can't kill people or directly harm them using either my Liquid powers or while in my Liquidator form. Also, I am in my flesh and blood body, I have to conform to the limitations of flesh…like breathing." he sighed a little and muttered, "That's going to take some getting used to. "

Speaking softly and glancing worriedly at the ducks on the sofa, he continued, "Also while there is a certain amount of wiggle room in the timeframe of my being either Liquidator or Bud, once I change I have to remain in the alternate form for at least twelve hours and while in either form I should minimize my karmic debt even when I am earning my living."

At this Mintaka winced and added quietly, "I can't dictate your choices Bud, but I would recommend minimizing your involvement in criminal acts as much as you can. After all, you have your successful business to fall back on…I Do understand your being obligated to him."

Mintaka gestured to Negaduck and continued, "and I know that traditionally after death debts aren't considered something most Normals worry about, but… I can assure you the penalties are real and quite severe."

Bud sighed and admitted, "it's not as if I can gainsay you… but I am pretty certain that the business world isn't really enough of a challenge anymore."

Bud flinched as Negaduck moved slightly and to his surprise Mintaka winced as well and offered, "It may be best if you go now, Dir…I mean your Clan member there is becoming disturbed and I need to concentrate on these two. We will talk again after I have made arrangements for them to finish their healing and explain things to…the others involved in this situation."

Nodding hurriedly Bud admitted, "I need to update my wardrobe and make a few more arrangements to continue my campaign."

His expression turned salacious and more than a bit sly at that but Mintaka made no verbal comments. He just smiled a little and tossed a mixture of white and gold sparkling dust on Bud as Grimm flicked both his ears and before Bud could blink he realized his clothing had changed.

He was now dressed in a custom tailored Parisian suit who's dark chocolate pinstriped coat and pants were accented by a pale pink, silk shirt and a slightly darker rose striped tie. Startled, he adjusted the platinum cuff links and tie pin and felt in the coat pocket to find that he now had an I-phone and that the other rectangle in the breast pocket was a wallet that as he opened it he found contained a drivers license, several credit cards, and several thousand dollars in cash.

Mintaka offered, "I can hardly ask you to confine yourself to your Bud Flood identity without giving you your entire identity back."

On Friday night he waited in his midnight blue, LS Jaguar coupe. He had arrived at The Aviary just before eight and now all that was missing was his Lady. To his delight Gretchen Growler appeared, stepping regally out of her company limo. She was dressed in her trademark dark red hooded cape and a short black dress that showed off her delightfully pert tail and strong muscular legs. As he pulled up and tossed the keys to the waiting valet, he saw that she also had on the token he had made for her and taking this as a sign that she was receptive to him; he took her hand.

Kissing the back of it he offered a suave smile and said, "I hope you find my appearance and wardrobe acceptable."

Gretchen for her part was stunned as she realized that the tall, flesh and blood canid she had almost cold cocked for daring to touch her unasked was actually her date! Completely surprised since she hadn't thought he could be anything other than the watery, villainous shape she had met before she remained silent as they were escorted to the Ursa room of the restaurant…. A few hours later found Bud whistling as he adjusted his tie and continued on into his rented offices. Granted, this was only the opening salvo of his campaign but it HAD gone well….

_Alrighty, I realize this has been a LONG time in coming, but here it is the end of the line for this fic. I AM open to suggestions and I am perfectly willing to put a bit more into this IF I get any requests or questions that need answering. Please enjoy and review if you can. Your friend Irual_


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